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[alexwazer]

My dwarves always eat at the stockpiles instead of bringing food to the dining room. It is rather annoying since they get no happy thoughts from my dining hall and complain of the lack of chairs. I am not sure what could be causing this. It is not a pathfinding issue since idlers always go. I considered the possiblity that dwarves were overworking and prefered to eat as soon as possible, but even after letting them plenty of free time, they still refuse to eat anywhere but at the stockpile. The only thing somewhat unusual in this fortress is that all my stockpiles are above ground, but I do not remember that ever being an issue.

Does it happens to anyone else? Anyone got an idea of what could be the problem?

[DarthCloakedDwarf]

I get this often as well. It's rather irritating.

[Dave Mongoose]

How far are the stockpiles from the dining room? maybe they're too lazy to walk that far...

I usually put a food stockpile just outside the dining room (or on the z-level below) which only accepts the foods I want my dwarves eating (and change other stockpiles to not accept those types, if necessary).

One thing to be careful of with outdoor stockpiles is that bones left outside will disappear so if you're planning to do any bonecrafting then it would be best to stockpile them inside.

[alexwazer]

Stockpiles are only 4 tiles away (up) from the dining room, so I doubt that would be a problem. Still, I tried moving my stockpile to make sure. I placed it INSIDE the dining room, yet dwarves would rather complain about the lack of chairs rather then use one of the 20+ in the room.

Unless I completely missed something, this looks like a bug.

[Shoku]

I noticed this back in 40d.

I guess you'll have to make a very nice statue garden for them.

[zooeyglass]

The obvious but potentially necessary questions:

- Does each table have a chair with it in the dining room?
- Have you designated from a table the room into a dining room? (I'm guessing you have if idlers are going there to spend time - i'm guessing you've also made it a meeting hall.
- Have you tried undesignating the room and then redesignating?
- Have you changed anything in the settings under 'o' about food?
- Have you put some kinda burrow in there?

Just brainstorming - I'm hoping you've done the undesignate/redesignate.

[dakenho]

there is a similar problem with with beds, I often see dwarfs sleep on the floor when there are unassigned bedrooms around.  I have not have the problem of them eating in the stock pile.   Are you sure that they are eating and say not drinking, IE your food and booze are in the same stockpile?

[alexwazer]

The obvious but potentially necessary questions:

- Does each table have a chair with it in the dining room?
- Have you designated from a table the room into a dining room? (I'm guessing you have if idlers are going there to spend time - i'm guessing you've also made it a meeting hall.
- Have you tried undesignating the room and then redesignating?
- Have you changed anything in the settings under 'o' about food?
- Have you put some kinda burrow in there?

Just brainstorming - I'm hoping you've done the undesignate/redesignate.

I checked all those things without getting results. I even tried creating multiple rooms, assigning tables individually, turning temperature/weather back on (first time I play without, so maybe... it's DF), creating the room from different tables and a few other things I forgot.

I just notice something else however; I used the same save to tests if I could get more migrants after changing the population cap (related to another thread) and let the game run for half a year without doing anything, having 30+ idlers. They didn't had a single party... that's so wrong (or not). It is probably related. Once I start flooding the map with magma carefully engineering my obsidian construction, I will try creating a new dining room, somewhere else and see if there's any change.

I noticed this back in 40d.

I guess you'll have to make a very nice statue garden for them.

Statue garden would not really be enough. Usually my dwarves have very little free time, it is all work, drink, eat, sleep and drink. I will probably try to set up a few waterfalls in the most used areas instead.

there is a similar problem with with beds, I often see dwarfs sleep on the floor when there are unassigned bedrooms around.  I have not have the problem of them eating in the stock pile.   Are you sure that they are eating and say not drinking, IE your food and booze are in the same stockpile?

I always use different stockpiles for food and drink to avoid having to micromanage barrel usage. I have noticed the same thing with beds, but most of the time they sleep in a bed, even if not theirs. With the dwarves overworking themselves, the additionnal bad thought for the "lack" of chairs and the loss of happy thought from eating in a dining room hurt happiness a lot more than sleeping on the ground or "without a proper room".

I still want to test a few things, but I am seriously running out of ideas 



Edit: After messing around some more, my dwarves finally noticed the 30ish tables and started using them. It required the removal of the tables/chairs and building them again. I am still completely clueless about what might have been the issue.

[CognitiveDissonance]

I usually put a food stockpile ...(or on the z-level below)

That is a brilliant idea! Why didn't I think of this sooner?!